World So Cold
by Lea Authoress
Summary: It took one sentence for the future to pave itself. It took one promise of reuniting a young girl with her mother. It took one meeting for her to like the woman in red. It took a lifetime for her to realise that every step was a world cold without him. As she looked down from the roof, staring at the cannibalistic monsters roaming the streets, she wondered why she was here.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Running a hand through dark auburn locks, aqua eyes narrowed at the words before her. She had studied them for hours, weeks – bordering the fourth month, much to her annoyance – and no one could tell her what to expect during her coming of age.

She had resorted to conversing with the other versions of herself, not that she would let anyone know. It was considered one of the darker spells and not many were allowed to use it unless their magick corresponded with it fluently.

One version, Lea who was travelling with the Winchester brothers, had explained that while they shared similarities, they wouldn't turn out the same. She had specialties that the two didn't share, despite their reactive magick.

Heaving a loud sigh, she fell onto her back, hair splaying around her head haphazardly. In a way, she was jealous of the other version who was with the fictional brothers, they were extremely good looking and she was sure Lea and Sam would get their act together soon – at least from what she was told.

"Aubrey, what are you complaining about now?" Her mother mused with a smile, running a tan hand through her daughter's hair fondly. "You're not slacking off your university paper, are you?"

She smiled innocently. "Who? Me?" She replied, batting her eyelashes playfully. Smirking at her mother's look, she sat up with a shrug. "My paper isn't due for another month; I have plenty of time to write the essay and graduate all in the same time. My assignments have already been completed ahead of time."

"All you have to do is attend your classes." Elizabeth finished with a laugh. "Oh, sweetie. I'm so proud of you."

"Even if I used magick to help with the research?" She winced, bowing her head at her mother's stern stare. "I didn't cheat. All I've done is contact the others about my coming of age."

"It's different for all of us. Even with your other selves." She replied softly. "I know you're worried, I am too. But all we can do is wait for Halloween and watch it play through."

"Lea did tell me they all did there's when they became teens. And that was only to bind themselves to a familiar." Aubrey exhaled, twisting a lock of her dark hair. "Even her magick settled before seventeen. I'm eighteen already and all I know is I'm explosive and temperamental."

Elizabeth frowned at her downtrodden face. There was no natural smile on her face, no cheeky glint in her eyes and her voice no longer held her sarcastic tone. "Aubrey, that just means your magick is reactive, there's nothing wrong with it. You have many things wonderful about you. Your anger might be your strongest, but you're also exceedingly patient and understanding. You go with the flow – if you don't panic in the situation."

"I'm also exceedingly cold to everyone." She pointed out, fumbling with multiple thoughts that ran through her mind quickly. "I'll just wait to find out."

Elizabeth smiled to herself, waving her hand as a gift appeared in her lap. "It was meant to be opened for you ceremony, but I think you'll enjoy this now."

"What is it?"

All she did was smile, gesturing for her daughter to open it. "You haven't shut up about it. And, since you have the gaming system for it, I thought to buy it for you."

Carefully unwrapping the gift, she gasped at the case sitting on her lap innocently. "Resident Evil 2! The original!"

"You complained about completing the remake and only watching the original." She smiled, kissing her forehead lightly. "Just don't lose focus on yourself. You'll see, everything will be alright."

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_Meeting amused eyes, Aubrey sighed and handed over her grimoire. "Please tell me that we have something other than reactive magick in common?"_

_Lea laughed loudly, throwing her head back at her words. "Aubrey, you and I are as different as night and day. What you do for your ceremonies are completely different to ours. We don't have specific elements that adhere to us, only traits that are inherited. Like my seer abilities."_

_She smiled wryly, running a hand through her thick hair. "I know." She sighed. "I'm just nervous about my potential. Mom seems to think I'll inherit fire or wind."_

_She nodded thoughtfully. "I think the same as well, although you could inherit both or different elements. Like your mother, your aunt or ancestor. It all depends on how you've grown into yourself."_

"_You're not even from my world, yet you know more about it than _I_ do." She joked. "Don't tell me you're planning to take my place?"_

_Lea chuckled, patting her pale hand fondly. "I wouldn't leave those two. They bring more than enough trouble to deal with. If they listened to each other, they'd communicate properly."_

"_You wouldn't change it for the world."_

_She smiled softly. "I wouldn't." She paused, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "And neither would you, given the chance."_

_She blanked, quirking a curious brow at her mischievous doppelganger. "What are you talking about?"_

"_Some things must stay secret between us, Aubrey." She teased playfully, drinking her tea calmly despite the narrowed eyes focused on her. "Do try not to accidentally blow them up. First impressions matter."_

"_I suddenly don't feel like leaving my bedroom." She commented dryly, pinching the bridge of her nose._

"_Don't stare too long either. Don't want him to think you creepy." She paused, tilting her head slightly. "On second thought, stare as much as you want. And run, it's important that you run."_

_She snorted. "You make it sound like I'll be put in a dangerous situation."._

_All she did was stay silent, blinking innocently at the wide eyes focused on her._

"_You're joking. I can't use my magick properly yet!" She hissed. "It's trying to stabilise itself."_

"_Aubrey, believe me when I tell you everything will work out. All you need to focus on is surviving and coming back alive." She replied sternly, her shifting eyes glaring at her. "At least to us, anyway."_

"_Do you know when it happens? Can you at least tell me that?" She tried. Whenever something was shifting in her future, Lea spoke in riddles or barely gave her the bare minimum information before it occurred. If it involved her magick and her wellbeing, she deserved to know whatever she could!_

_Lea hesitated, placing the cup down and staring at the table with thought-filled eyes. "I…must still abide by the laws set in place for Seers." Her shoulders sagged in disappointment. "However, it will happen when you least expect it to. Your decisions then on will determine your place and your relationships with others."_

_A beat of silence passed between the two. _

"_Thank you." She whispered quietly._

_Her eyes softened, standing up to hold her counterpart tightly. Fate was cruel to them, toying with them like marionettes awaiting their role in the next play – whether tragic or happy. None could escape their fate, however hard she tried. Yet, there was a sliver of hope when small decisions conquered the original fate for others._

"_You're me. I am you. There are others like us, all weary of our place in the worlds we live. We go through it all with our heads held high." She sighed, resting her chin atop the others head. "We are beings with magick, yet our future is trapped in fates hands."_

"_We can change the others fate."_

"_That's our job."_

"_We don't get paid for it." She rebuffed._

"_We do." She returned patiently. All those fights with the Winchesters going at each other sure paid off, she realised. She never was much patient to begin with. "We watch as others are happy with their new future. Our magick grows alongside us. We find our own happiness when helping or causing mischief."_

"_You sound like those self-help ads."_

"_I feel like it too sometimes." She huffed. "Just know, everyone is ready to help you. No matter how impossible the task is."_

"_Alright. I'll ask the first chance I get."_


	2. Diving Head First into Hell

**1– Diving Head First into Hell**

Umbrella. An organisation that specialised and dealt with Bio-Organic Weapons. It was all she could remember whenever her consciousness surface in those brief moments as her awareness took note of every conversation around. Ever since she _miraculously_ – for them, certainly not for her – landed in their headquarters, her magick had started to go haywire in its mission to protect her, until a lucky tranquilliser dart had managed to land in her neck.

It had been a normal day for her. Study, relax, practise magick and eat. Her everyday routine. And yet, an irresistible urge to play her new game took over her before she could realise. When she did, it was too late. Her magick reacted and she was sucked into the game without a second's hesitation.

At least she had her counterpart with her when she was available. And, apparently, the music running through her mind to keep her mind off the failed experiments.

Her magick kept her safe. It had created a sort of barrier that would leave them unable to touch her, despite her sedated state they had upped her on. She, herself, was in no condition to use any of her magick, especially when she was semi-conscious as that would be disastrous for both her and her humanity.

Two days after she had been _admitted_, she had woken up groggily, unaware of the horrors brewing outside. No bustling of the scientists, no shouting orders from their _security_. Not even the twisted mutterings of William Birkin could be heard. That was what caused dread to settle deep in her bones.

She furrowed her brows, cautiously moving off the table and gripping it tightly as her legs wobbled from disuse. She couldn't remember how long she had been unconscious for or why everything was so silent.

Memories played like a silent film; playing Resident Evil games, learning timelines and information about the series, even her vague fangirling over how attractive Leon Kennedy was – or is, she amended quickly. Those pieces fell quickly, a cold chill overcoming her bones, freezing the blood in her veins coldly as she finally realised where she was.

"Oh, my fucking god." She breathed. "I'm in Raccoon City."

This is what she meant. Lea had a vision of her future and even under the vows they took, she still left enough clues for her to find out what she meant.

She slammed her hand loudly atop the table she was once resting on. "Damn it! Damn it all to hell and back!" She cursed, sweeping her arm out as various utensils launched to the floor under her magick. "This is all a dream. When I close my eyes, I'll wake up in my bed and argue with mom about my paper."

The shrill ring of the phone cleared her mind, causing her eyes to glance to the device coldly. Her complaints could come at another time where her life wasn't in jeopardy and she wasn't tempted to bomb the entire building where it stood.

Exhaling for a moment, she collected herself and snatched the phone from the dock. "This is Umbrella, where we experiment with various living things to genetically engineer their entire being without thought of consequence or morality. Due to the problems caused by our products, we're currently taking refunds from our customers. Do you have any complaints for me to direct to the superiors?"

"_Good. You're up."_ _A monotone, feminine voice interrupts._

Her eyes narrowed into slits, eyes glowing neon. She glowered at the wall once she knew who it was. Even in her bouts of consciousness, the woman was probably the most moral of them all. "Annette, a pleasure to hear your voice again. Have you decided to argue with William about how much anaesthesia I should be given next?"

"_Good, you still have your memories."_

She scoffed quietly. "It's not like I could forget the only one who treated me somewhat like an actual human being." Her body started to warm, the air cracking like a whip. "Give me one good reason I don't burn this phone and leave you here."

"_If you want to get out of this city before all hell breaks loose, then I suggest you listen to what I have to say_." She orders coolly, brushing her blonde hair out of her face. Her face, while blank, creased with the worry of the one person she had left in the cold, dark world.

Aubrey scowled. "You don't do anything out of the goodness of your heart. What do you want?"

_Annette swallowed inaudibly. "I need your help." She explained quickly, worry bleeding into her normally monotone words. "My daughter, Sherry Birkin. You have to find her; she's carrying a locket with the sample of the G-Virus. You have to get both of them out of the city and somewhere safe."_

She blanched, her pallor turning paler than she ever was. "She's out there?!" She hissed darkly, tightening her grip on the phone, knuckles whitening under the pressure. "With those monsters out there?! You left a defenceless child out there to face the dangers by herself!?"

_Annette winced at the whip-like words, as if the damage she helped create only weighed in her mind when her daughter was out _there_. "We – I never expected them to escape containment, nor the damage so quickly." She retorted. _

Aubrey sighed, running a hand through her dark, curly hair. "Despite my feelings towards you, I'll find your daughter and meet back with you once I do. I'm taking you two out of here and I'm leaving."

_Annette, unknown to Faye, smiled in relief. Her daughter would be safe with her, that was all she could ask, more than she deserved. And, they would be reunited, much to her delight. She vowed to treat Sherry like she deserves, she would try her best to be the mother she needed to be. "There's a key card on the desk in front of the operating table, it should open the door for you."_

"Is there anything I can use against them?"

"_There is a compartment in your ward. It should open with the key card unless William changed it." She answered. "Thank you."_

"If I'm saving you and Sherry, I think it validates permission to use my name." She paused. "It's Aubrey."

"_You are quite…"_

"I'm very blunt." She finished dryly. "I think the situation calls for it, no? Also, if a rookie pops by, don't shoot him whatever you do – or me for that matter. I will not take kindly to either. If a woman in red knocks on the front door, do whatever it takes to not let the sample your _wonderful_ husband created fall in her hands. She's been sent by the Organisation to retrieve it."

"_Why are you telling me this?"_

"It's unnecessary drama when all I want to do is make sure the survivors are still alive and ready to leave this hellhole." She narrowed her eyes at the camera above her. "And even if I have to stop you, no one is going to be injured under my watch."

"_I…will take it into consideration."_

"And your husband, he'll kill you and I want you to be alive rather than dead. Sherry needs her mother, now more than ever." She continued. "I don't want to hear you're dead trying to kill your mutant husband."

"_How do you know all this?"_

"If I told you, I'm afraid I'd have to alter your memories of this conversation and then erase my existence from you all to protect myself from the idiots in that damned corporation you _used_ to work for. Goodbye for now, Annette."

She placed the phone back onto the dock, turning to stare at the compartment that she guessed was for the weapons. Grasping the key card, she walked over and swiped, eyes widening at the nearly bare rack. The only thing remaining was a small pistol, fully loaded to her relief.

"Despite my luck being terrible, thank you whoever left this baby for me." She praised, before looking down at the airy shawl covering her body. "Next, find some kind of clothing for me."

Ransacking the medical bay, she cursed as all she could find was a tank top, short jeans and high heels. _Heels_.

"Who hides heels, but no sneakers?" She hissed, slamming the wall with her fist. Taking a deep breath, she changed into the clothes, placing her feet into the heels and grimacing. "Fate must be laughing at me. To have the exact size for me, I really hate who left these. But it's better than being barefoot. Some kind of protection, at least."

Slipping the pistol in the band of the shorts, she walked over to the door as quietly as she could. Sighing shakily, she swiped the card down, wincing at the loud dull roar as it moved achingly slow.

Her heart dropped, fear freezing the blood before it pumped rapidly at the groans of the infected. Raising her hands, she glared ferociously at them all, blocking every groan, every stumble they took to chomp on her pale form.

Her eyes began to glow softly, before burning brightly, her aqua eyes turning a fluorescent blue as her magick thrummed violently in her veins, coiling around her in delight. It had missed being free, missed the erotic feeling of being used.

"_Perdere illos in gehénnam, ut incenderent tuam, ille mandavit, appositi, sicut præcepit Dominus.__"_ They exploded, remains catching fire instantly, burning brightly as the scent of rotting flesh invaded her nose.

She slapped a hand over her mouth, gagging at the overpowering smell. She really didn't need to smell that. Her head snapped to the right as lickers rushed over to her, intent on feeding on her supple flesh.

"_Displodo!"_ The spell rolled off her tongue before she could even comprehend, the monsters exploding violently, leaving splattered blood on the walls and joining the growing puddle of blood her spell caused. "I need to be quiet and quick. No need to make more noise than necessary."

As she walked through the underground laboratory, she made sure not to make noise, not wanting to attract anything else. Her heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach, as a licker stopped in front of her. She was sure she was done for, but it thankfully hadn't heard her pulsating heart and wandered off.

There were two options she could choose from. The elevator or the sewers. It was a lose-lose situation, no matter which she chose. Deal with the blonde obsessed murdering psychopath or deal with a giant man-eating alligator that doesn't discriminate?

'_Neither option would work perfectly.'_ She thought sourly, running a hand through her hair before her shoulders drooped in regret. _'I'd rather take the psychopath over the alligator, any day. Just nobody jinx me, that's the last thing I need.'_

Hearing the pounding footsteps of the mutated William, she paled, looked at the direction she knew the elevator was in and booked it to the sewers, exploding any monster in her path to distract him. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

As she climbed down the ladder, she nervously paused, listening to the echoes of dripping water, the stumbles of footsteps and the taps of the footsteps. Wading through the sewerage, she made a mental note to burn these clothes as soon as she found replacements. The stench of sewerage was far too much for her sensitive nose to handle.

Hearing the shifting of water, she hastily looked for the ladder, all but crying in relief once she did, heaving herself up and watching as the large mutated creature waddled past her, without notice of her.

She looked up, pushing the manhole above her to the side, arms shaking under the weight. Her jaw dropped, her eyes soaking in the destruction she had only seen on a screen. Blood coated the asphalt in large puddles, staining the walls as bodies sat limply against them, unsure if they were actually dead or simply playing dead.

Hordes of screaming people pushed past her, elbowing her harshly in their haste to escape the numerous zombies that were snarling at them, their ghostly eyes shining with unending hunger, their rotting flesh falling apart at the seams.

In her state of disbelief and disquiet, she hadn't noticed the zombie crawling behind her. Its tight grasp latched onto her ankle, interrupting her train of thought, it's mouth ready to gnaw on her quite delicious ankle.

She looked down, eyes glowing in fury. _"V__anesco__."_ Its body started to melt, the rotting flesh singeing, eyes falling out of the sockets, bones turning into a white puddle of goo. She stumbled away, flinching at the foul smell. "I hope they don't smell like that every time."

As her eyes combed the streets, she heard the roaring engine of a bike that was coming closer to her by the second. She shrieked, launching herself out of the way, feeling it fly past her leg that barely missed getting clipped.

Her body rolled uncontrollably, tumbling past dead bodies and mixing with both dried and fresh blood, coating her arms and legs. She gasped when her body made contact with the wall, arching her back as it took most of the force from the collision. She choked, breathing heavily at the huge bruise she would no doubt be sporting, and the pain. She doubted painkillers would help much.

Her shriek carried into the infected streets, their heavy feet lumbering towards her, intending to make sure she would be another victim in their furious hunger. Her entire body screamed with agony, every movement she made only made it hurt even worse. Lifting a hand, her eyes glowed. _"__Mater et filia veneficiis est usa defendat, custodiat et elegit adolebitque ea inimicis tuis in aeternum gehennæ ignibus tradatur.__"_

She watched with troubled eyes as they burnt, blue flames clinging to them as they howled and screeched in deathly pain, enough for them to be reduced to nothing but ash. Not even their bones remained.

"_S__ubvolo__."_ She whispered, sighing in relief as her body floated and set her down gently on the roof. _"O__bice__." _A pearl, white barrier clung to the rooftop, intent on protecting her from any mutated, genetic monster.

Her body slumped, magick soothing her pain. Darkness running a gentle hand through her hair comfortingly, shushing her to sleep.

"Day one in Raccoon City; get me the fuck outta here." She grumbled, letting her conscious trail away to join Morpheus in his dreamland.

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She had only slept for an hour or two at most, forcing herself awake due to the task at hand. She refused to allow Sherry to be unprotected anymore. It was bad enough she was by herself, but there were cannibalistic monsters hungry for human flesh.

Clutching onto the railing, she gasped silently, pain coursing through her back at every step she made. "Healing spells won't be necessary, thirteen-year-old me said. I have enough force to stop a truck, thirteen-year-old me said." She grunted. "I outta smack thirteen-year-old me. Even if I'd struggle with them, it's better than being crippled in a zombie munching restaurant!"

She silenced herself, hearing the door creak open slowly. A long tongue slithered past; a brain encased head pushed the door open further as its body walked forwards. She clamped up, face paling rapidly as her fingers inched toward the gun in her jeans – all thoughts of using magick forgotten as if she never had it to begin with.

The squeak of her heels alerted the monster, its head snapping towards her as it rushed at her, it's jaw wide open, tongue elongating to grab her neck.

She threw her hands up, eyes closed in fear as her magick vibrated furiously. _How dare you attack her?!_ It roared violently, encompassing the licker and squeezing brutally, ignoring the splattering blood that doused the roof, staining her shirt.

Her mind was jumbled, multiple panicked thoughts running a thousand miles per second, any thought of her dying disappearing at the act of her magick. She slumped to the ground, horrified at her slight hesitance. She _knew_ she could kill it, and when faced with the tenth one that night, she froze.

"Damn it." She cursed, hugging her forearms. She shouldn't have yelled. It was a mistake, a nearly fatal mistake that could've killed her. After a few moments of sitting there in silence, she gripped the railing and pushed herself off the ground. _'No time for regrating anything. There's a little girl wandering in that station and a mother waiting for her. I'll breakdown later when it's safe.'_

Vaulting over the railing, she held out her hand, eyes glowing. _"S__ubvolo__." _As she raced across the roofs, she killed a few creatures along the way, face hardening at every kill. They weren't human anymore, there was no need to feel regret.

But, why did everything feel so much worse?

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**So, I _was_ supposed to work on another fic, but inspiration was hitting with a brick! Already working on the next chapter, and I'm staring a playlist for every fic I'm working on. World So Cold just so happens to be the first one I've done it for. It's on Spotify, named World So Cold. It will take a little for me to immerse myself into the fandom, but I have all but completed it in my head. It's just putting it on paper and tweaking it is the hard part. Enjoy this and leave a review!**

**Ciao!**


	3. The Devil's Den

**2 – The Devil's Den**

Kissing her teeth, she grasped onto the gates with curious eyes. She could easily float herself over and then shimmy through one of the open windows – if there were any, she supposed. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the click-clack of heels coming behind her.

"Lost?" A voice purred from behind, causing her to twirl on her heel and stare with wide eyes.

Ada Wong stood calmly before her, her iconic red dress swaying lightly, her short hair tucked behind her ear as intelligent eyes studied her.

"I'm looking for a friend." She answered slowly, aqua meeting startling steel. "Her mom and I are worried about her. The last place we heard she was, was here."

She smirked, placing a delicate hand on her hip. "I'll believe your story. For now." She replied smoothly. "I'm also looking for a _friend_."

The two stared each other down, waiting for either to move the wrong way or say something to set them off. Aubrey was watching her cautiously. She wasn't stupid. Even if Ada was beautiful, it didn't lessen the danger swirling around her like a calm storm. She, truthfully, had no personal feelings towards her. She was always neutral towards her, but it didn't make anything go in her favour when she consistently left Leon by himself – allowing him to believe she died so early on and then leave every time!

"I hope to see you again, little _witch_."

Her eyes narrowed, muscles tensing before she forcibly relaxed, eyes glinting playfully. "I won't let you take it." She replied softly. "It's under my protection subsequently."

Her smirk tightened ever so slightly. "Oh? Well, it's a race against time, then." She turned away, walking to the garage when she stopped.

"Ada, watch out for Burkin." She warned. "I'd distract you with something else, but everything isn't what they always seem. I know you won't give up on catching the strain, but it doesn't mean I'll allow it to fall into your hands so easily."

She laughed to herself. "My, what an interesting little witch you are." Her eyes glinted, the two staring each other down. "If we meet again, don't expect to leave without a fight."

Her brows furrowed at the cryptic words, even as the woman vanished before her eyes. Returning her attention to the gate, she titled her head. _'I didn't think I'd get along with her, even if it was all threats and warnings.' _Looking over her shoulder, her eyes shone with curiosity.

Shaking her head, refusing to be distracted any more than she already was, she floated herself over the gates, holding a hand out as she grasped onto the window pane. Gritting her teeth, she hoisted herself through the broken window, ignoring the slices into her arms and legs.

Landing on the glass laying around in clusters, she winced at the loud crunch under her heel, staying extremely still as her heartbeat increased – waiting for anything to give her a scarier jump scare than she could have imagined.

A resounding boom echoed throughout the otherwise silent town. She whipped her head towards the window, eyes widening at the sight of the fiery smoke bloom into the air. "Holy shit." She gaped. It was one thing seeing it happen in a game, but to see it happen with her own eyes – granted it was still far away, but the sight was both enthralling and dangerous.

A hand clasped her shoulder, alarm bells ringing in her ears at the feeling of breath ghosting over her ear. "Quiet." He ordered softly. "They're close by."

She knew what he meant. Looking past him, she found a small cluster of zombies stumbling towards them. "How long have they been following you?"

"Not long." He replied, leading her away from the group and cautiously walking down the other hallway. "I was trying to find a way outta here. Have it all in here."

She paused, scrutinising him, before shaking her head with a silent sigh. "How long has it been like this?"

"A day? Maybe more?" He answered distantly. "Time isn't important right now. It's staying alive that counts."

"Couldn't agree with you more." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Have you seen Sherry? A little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes?"

He scratched his chin, left hand holding his pistol tightly in case of any jump scares that decided to join them. "Yeah…I think the pc has her. Who knows, she might be walking around here by herself."

"Sir?" She whispered, tapping his shoulder and letting a small sliver of magic to surround him. She had some hope that he would make it, but in a zombie buffet like this, one could never be sure. "Thank you, but I need to find her."

"Miss –" He protested, eyes going wide at her insinuation.

"Sorry, but I'll be fine. I have a few tricks up my sleeves." She interrupted in jest, smiling slightly even at his worried face. "Don't worry. We might run into each other soon."

She scurried off before he could reply. Aubrey hoped that her magic would protect him, even if it was just a sliver. One small thing could change entire events.

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"_Vanesco."_ She chanted, nose scrunching at the foul smell radiating from the zombified puddle. It had been a while since she left the officer, even with the guilt plaguing her, Sherry was and still is her top priority. There was no time for distractions.

Hearing footsteps, she reached for the pistol in her jeans, whipping it out and pointing it at the dirty blonde man aiming his own weapon at her. Her heart stopped and restarted brutally in a span of a second. Standing before her was Leon Kennedy.

She blinked, saying the first thing that came to mind, brain frantically trying to halt her big mouth. "I may have broken in, but I'm not kinky enough to get handcuffed by a rookie in an all-you-can-eat zombie buffet." A beat of silence passed between the two, she groaned hanging her head and desperately trying to ignore the red burning her cheeks and his amused smirk. _'What an introduction.'_

Hearing footsteps, their heads snapped up to the licker crawling on the roof, its tongue slithering around, finding its next prey once Leon let out a gasp at the sight. Her muscles tensed, readying herself to push him away once it lunged for him.

'_Oh, boy.'_ He thought in shock. Zombies were one thing – he could deal with them – but a creature looking as if it came directly from an alien movie was a completely whole other thing!

The duo fired at it, shots ringing multiple times as the creature lunged for them. She took one look at the baby-faced Leon and prayed everything went A-Okay and he didn't start shooting _her_.

"_Displodo."_ As it lunged for him, it exploded into pieces, blood covering the walls, window and their clothes. She took one look at his shocked face, tucked her pistol away and booked it. There were many things she could face bravely. Zombies ready to munch on her, lickers ready to gnaw on her like their favourite chew toy, play a game of threats and warnings with Ada. Explaining her magick to a shocked rookie was not one of them. Even if _was_ Leon. Nope, nada, zilch.

* * *

**Short, but I truly couldn't expand on this scene anymore that I did. It would be repetitive. So, instead, our little witch has met the ever so prevalent Ada and Leon! Don't worry, Leon and Aubrey will meet officially next chapter and when they do... I can't spoil it, so wait patiently.**

**Ciao!**


	4. A Stroll Through Man-Eating Monsters

**3 – A Stroll Through Man-Eating Monsters**

Heaving herself over the debris settled along the corridor, she quietly walked, hand sliding across the wall as all her wit. However, her thoughts kept straying to one rookie cop that she, unfortunately, held a small flame for.

'_Forget it.' _She thought, narrowing her eyes into a determined glare as annoyance swelled within her. _'Focus on finding Sherry and taking her back to Annette. Focus on keeping that strain out of Umbrella's hands and most importantly…'_

A groan interrupted her train of thought, breathe ghosting across her neck eerily, mouth open and ready to gnaw on its newest victim.

Words tumbled from her mouth instantly, lips forming new vowels as her magick took control.

"_Gaudete et infernus__."_ The creature roared in agony as fire sprouted from the depths of hell, melting its skin and only leaving scorched bones that billowed smoke. "Damn it." She cursed, spinning on her heel and walking away quickly, ignoring the way her heels clicked against the tile flooring as her magick crackled frantically around her.

As she walked by, she was ignorant to the camera above her, recording her every movement she made, and unaware of the audience she had caught the attention of.

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Marvin glanced at the perplexed rookie, as understanding dawned on his face. "You know her?" He questioned, forcing the bloody cough down as his side _burned_ like something unholy. He huffed to himself, everything about this damned situation's unholy. He wouldn't be surprised if his city had to be destroyed to hide it all.

"Somewhat." He replied dryly, remembering the _show_ she created when they met. At least she was comedic relief in this hellhole. If she wasn't turning or aiming to hurt them, she was alright in his book.

"Just keep an eye on her. We don't know what she's here for, or why." He advised warningly. He had seen too many rookies find themselves in a dance with women that they didn't need to. Hopefully, Leon had a good head on his shoulders.

"Yes." He sighed, blue eyes staring at the moving figure instantly.

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Ada, who sat in the only chair – however uncomfortable it was – watched as the auburnette waded through the halls silently, face darting around corners, stopping when she found it appropriate before returning to her gait.

"Interesting." She hummed, flipping through the folder that she had snatched from the base, rereading information she easily memorised. She smirked, placing the folder behind the systems and stood. "Race against time, huh? What an interesting little witch."

She had taken the folder holding limited information about the new specimen that literally dropped into their hands, perfect for research – if that strange energy would have allowed to even enter her private ward. It was documented that it was severely feral towards them, using any means necessary to stop them.

'_Interesting indeed.' _She'd let it all play out. She only came to retrieve the strain and turn it over to Umbrella. However…

Umbrella had also sent her to find all the information about the new specimen.

Her job had become so much more interesting than she originally anticipated, especially since that witch had warned her about the ongoing rampage of the mutated William.

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Facing another dead-end, her glower deepened, aqua eyes glittering in annoyed anger. It was already confusing enough that the old museum was converted into a police station, but to have the commissioner's office so hidden was grinding her gears!

She didn't have time to play hide and seek with that damned office, she had a little girl to find, protect and reunite her with Annette and get them all out of dodge. She'd already been searching for hours, since dawn as far as she remembered and every second was precious if she didn't want her to be injected with that virus.

Grinding her teeth, the air around her crackled with the force of her anger. Sherry, the little girl who's scared for her life and running away from her mutated father, was currently AWOL and everything in her was screaming to find and protect her.

'_I can't believe I'm about to do this.' _Scrunching her eyes, she breathed deeply before staring at the camera above her, shoulders relaxing once she found the red dot blinking incessantly. Even if this came out the way she wanted, she still had Ada sauntering around to find that strain – which just so happened to be with Sherry.

"Leon, if you're there, hear me out." She started, hearing out for any noises that _weren't _human, eyes darting around her as she prepared to leave with a second's notice. "If you find a blonde little girl, stay with her. Her name is Sherry and her mom sent me after her." Hearing the tell-tale signs of Lickers, she cursed and shot one more look at the camera. "Please, if you find her, keep her away from the woman in red. Damnit!"

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Leon watched worriedly as the girl ran away from the oncoming Lickers who were easily catching up to her.

"Sherry?" Marvin echoed, eyes narrowing as each breathe left him painfully. "She should be with the pc…" His blood froze, each molecule binding together as a single thought ran across his mind. They hadn't thought, but… "You find that girl Leon, you hear me. Don't let her out of your sight."

"Is she that important?" He questioned.

He coughed, tilting his head to the screen showing the defending girl. "If you want to meet up with your little redhead."

"Sir…" Leon sighed, nodding along with his words. "Yes, I'll find Sherry."

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_Lea sighed, watching the scene with misted eyes, leaning against her hand as she listened. She had kept the door unlocked, watching each future with curious eyes and smiled once she saw the path she wanted emerging. _

"_What're you smiling at?" Faye quired with a glare, scoffing at the swat the other gave her. "Don't hit me."_

"_Stop being a brat and I will." She retorted readily. "Now, I was smiling because Aubrey's path has been determined."_

"_Yeah, into the one you want."_

"_Faye, this is the one where she truly belongs to. The others were fleeting happiness, drowned in angst and sorrow. Forgive me if I wanted my other halves to be happy." She snapped, eyes narrowing into an annoyed glare that wilted away at the firm look on her face. _

"_I'm sorry, we know better than to do that. I'm just worried because it's been a week since I last saw her. She only allowed you for the majority of her time like that." Faye explained petulantly. _

"_Faye, she's fine." Neither missed the fact she never mentioned safe. "This is where her path lies and it's her story that we wait for. Just as I have mine, just as you have yours and so on. Each of us has a place that we find and stay."_

"_Like you and Sam." She jeered, delighting at the flush coating her porcelain cheeks. "C'mon, tell me about that while we wait. I've been wanting to know more details about it."_

"_I will smack you."_

"_Can't feel pain, all-knowing one."_

_She deadpanned, blinking at the smirk on her companion's dark complexion. "How's the idiot gang?"_

_Faye shivered. "Terrible. They are all immense idiots that fail to see the logic that I and Jer present them multiple times. Tell me that I actually meet intelligent individuals that I can get along with."_

"_We do always get along better with them, I suppose." She pondered, smirking at the daunted look on her face. "Don't worry, your annoyance won't last long with them around. Just convince the big blonde puppy and his gentleman of a brother to use their intelligence and explain everything, things will go smoothly."_

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**I'm fifty-fifty with how this turned out, but it was much better than my previous attempts. Now, I will reference what that last scenes all about, as it plays a huge part in my little web I'm creating. More Leon and Aubrey next chapter - I hope at least - and finally she'll meet Sherry! I do have a little spin I'm doing for this specific game, so hopefully, you'll catch onto what I'm doing. **

**Ciao!**


	5. Rendezvous (Part One)

**4 – Rendezvous (Part One)**

Skulking through the shadows of the museum turned police station, Aubrey quietly turned the corner, only to find the person she had been warning them all about; Ada Wong.

"I'm hurt you'd say to keep the strand from me." She purred with a sigh, dark, intelligent eyes darting to her exhausted face. "Of course, using _energy_ like that would be so tiresome that you'd have to enlist help."

"Not in the mood." She muttered with a glare, hands twisting into fists as her magick bubbled beneath her skin, whispering sweet seductive lines into her ear that sounded appealing than anything her brain could conjure.

"We don't need to –"

The vicious, undertones of the lickers echoed from the hallway next to them, a hoard rushing over once they heard the echoing of voices that tried so valiantly to stay quiet.

She was so, so _tired_. She hadn't slept properly, had run countless times from the undead and other mutated creatures and she was so fed up with her own resistance of herself. Her magick catered to offensive, the power of destruction thrummed in her veins and she had been so cowardly that she forgot to use it to its full potential.

Exhaling deeply, she let the thoughts rummaging through her mind to disappear, the unwillingness that once shielded her now broken as her muscles relaxed noticeably. The chains that kept her unlocked with an agonisingly slow turn, clinking loudly once they freed her binds.

A column of fire engulfed her figure, burning brightly as it neither caught herself nor the walls on fire – under perfect sync with her control. Raising her hands slowly, palms facing outward to the sprinting lickers, time slowed down as her fluorescent eyes lit up, creating an eery picture with the fire burning around her.

"_Incenderent reptilium quae crawled de profundis inferni in gehénnam. Ut incenderent ossa eorum cinere.__"_ The words fell from her lips in a trance, taken from her grimoire that she remembered to be offensive but also forced great backlash on the user. It took minuscule time to focus on keeping her body upright, desperately ignoring the burning fire forming in her muscles.

Ada crept behind her, heels as silent as the water drops basking on the window sill and calmly knocked her out with smooth movement that resembled the daintiest swan. She'd seen a very interesting little encounter recently and was just so _excited_ for the two to reunite in no time at all.

Smirking, she hoisted the unconscious auburnette and sashayed away, knowing just the place to place the little firecracker.

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"_She knocked me out." She blinked, relaying the information to her counterparts before a raging fire swelled within her. "That bitch knocked me out after I saved her hide!"_

"_You technically didn't save her hide." Faye countered smarmily, pointing at her finger lazily all the while Lea sighed. _

"_Shut up, Faye. Just because the Idiot Gang is getting on your nerves doesn't mean you can take it out on me." She snipped._

_Shackles rising in irritation, Faye's emerald eyes flashed against her dark skin. "I suggest you mind your tongue. I'm not the one unconscious in a cannibalistic ex-museum."_

"_That is enough!" Lea bellowed commandingly, iridescent eyes flashing in fury. "We are _not_ children. If you continue to act as such, I will make sure neither of you forget what being a child is like." Her magick mingled in the air, bearing down on them heavily as the two struggled against the pressure. "I already deal with these shenanigans from two brothers, I _don't_ need or _appreciate_ this from either of you. Now, I will release you on the condition that you _both_ apologise for being out of line, are we clear?"_

_The two remained stone-faced at the compromise, wincing as the pressure bore down harsher as her face gradually turned colder. _

"_Fine then." She breathed coldly, waving her hand as Faye was sent away without so much a squeak. Releasing the pressure surrounding her, Aubrey went to thank her when Lea shot her a dark look. "Don't think that just because I sent her away and released you mean I have forgiven you. I'm disappointed in how you two acted with each other. Yes, Ada was wrong in rendering you unconscious, but Faye was correct that you didn't save her. You did such an arduous act recklessly and the possibility that even while conscious, you allowed yourself to put yourself in danger like that. I'll send you your grimoire and send you back." Waving her hand, Aubrey's grimoire appeared on her bracelet as she wilted. "Think over this and when you return, we'll _all_ have a proper talk about this."_

_Standing, she walked towards the door, hand resting on the knob with a pained expression before walking away. She _despised_ being so cruel to any of her counterparts, but it would hurt exceptionally worse when they found that it was purposeful and the others only acted their part. It couldn't be said that none of them didn't feel some sort of resentment towards the only one who could see their future – even with her intention to give them the happiest road, it didn't reverse the effects of her actions._

_She was guilty of many things, but she'd always had the best intentions for them all. She only hoped that Aubrey would realise that this scene was the biggest stepping stone in her future. She prayed that she'd forgive her._

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Ada Silently prowled the deadly halls, easily outwitting the brainless monsters who hungered for the tender flesh and the pulsing blood that sang within their veins. Halting at her destination, she slowly slid the girl from her back, searching her for anything out of place -cuts, slashes or bites – before turning on her heel and sauntering away, returning to her original purpose.

The witch was powerful, but for the moment, not completely on her radar or the others just yet. For now, she'd let her run wild with that little rookie and his friend. She wasn't interested in someone so _blegh_. He wasn't her type – she didn't go for the boy-next-door type or the one you'd bring to meet your parents.

Her taste was much… bolder, gruffer.

She cracked a minuscule smirk as a thought bloomed. Maybe the little witch carried a torch for the rookie? Maybe not. Who knows in this changing world.

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**Struggled with this chapter for a long time, I was extremely (and I mean that entirely) clueless on how to progress as the music I usually listened to for this wasn't doing it for, so I swiped through another playlist hit play and _voila_. I'm so so with this and I _was_ going to continue this chapter but I decided against it and split it into two parts, so maybe you'll guess what happens next, maybe you won't. Let's see if you lucky readers can guess correctly! Stay safe in these times, and don't worry, I will update this whenever the new chapter is finished (hopefully it won't take too long) and you'll be able to read this. **

**Again, please look after yourselves and others and a very special thank you to the heroes who work during these difficult times!**

**Ciao!**


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